1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a music reproducing system including a music reproducing unit and a transducer unit connected thereto, such as an earphone unit or a headphone unit, and also to an information processing method applied to the music reproducing unit of the music reproducing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, people often use a music reproducing unit, such as a portable music player, and earphones or headphones to listen to music while, for example, moving.
In the related art, when a listener listens to music by using earphones or headphones, the motion or biometric state of the listener is detected and information processing for reproduction of music is performed in accordance with the detection result.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications Nos. 9-70094 and 11-205892 describe the technique of detecting rotation of the head of a listener, and controlling sound-image localization according to the detection result, thereby localizing a sound image at a position defined outside the head of the listener.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications Nos. 2006-119178 and 2006-146980 describe, for example, the technique of recommending a musical piece to a listener according to a biometric state of the listener, such as pulse and perspiration.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-244495 describes the method of accurately detecting a motion of a user in a vertical direction by using an acceleration sensor without being affected by noise.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-72867 describes the method of performing on/off control over a power supply or the like based on a detection output from a touch sensor mounted on an earphone.
However, the following problems arise when information processing regarding reproduction of music is performed by using a motion sensor, such as a gyro sensor or an acceleration sensor, or a biometric sensor, such as a pulse sensor or a sweat sensor, mounted on an earphone, for example.
When the rotation of the head of the listener is detected for sound-image localization, a wrong output may be produced from the sensors at the time of attaching or reattaching the earphones. For this reason, after attachment of the earphones is completed, it may be difficult to localize a sound image, or the sound image is localized at a significantly displaced position.
For example, when a musical piece is selected in accordance with an output from a pulse sensor and is presented to the listener as a recommended musical piece, if the earphones are reattached, an instantaneous rapid pulse may be detected, resulting in selection of a musical piece that may not match the actual mood of the listener.
For example, when a traveling pace is detected by an acceleration sensor to control the tempo of a musical piece being reproduced in accordance with the traveling pace, a wrong traveling pace may be detected while the listener reattaches the earphones, resulting in a mismatch between the tempo of the musical piece being reproduced and the actual traveling pace.
To get around the above, a reset key is provided to a music reproducing unit. When the listener performs a rest operation immediately after attaching or reattaching the earphones, settings and parameters for processing, such as sound-image localization, are reset.
FIG. 15 depicts a series of operations in the above case to be performed by the listener when initially attaching the earphones.
When the listener initially attaches the earphones, the listener first picks up the earphones at step 211, and then attaches the earphones to his or her ears at step 212.
Next, at step 213, the listener releases his or her hands from the earphones after insertion (attachment) is complete. Next, at step 214, the listener resets the settings and parameters for processing, such as sound-image localization.
FIG. 16 depicts a series of operations to be performed by the listener when reattaching the earphones attached as described above.
When reattaching the earphones, the listener starts from step 221.
Next, at step 222, the listener releases his or her hands from the earphones after insertion (reattachment) is complete. Next, at step 223, the listener resets the settings and parameters for processing, such as sound-image localization.